Hidden Moments
by Newgirl78
Summary: Moments between Nick and Jess that we never got to see.
1. See Ya

**What happened the night Nick returned in "See Ya"... (Thank you to the anon prompt on Tumblr!)**

Jess heard the soft knock on her door and knew immediately that it was Nick. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to see her grumpy roommate standing in front of her in the same outfit she had seen him in only moments before.

She smiled. "Hi."

"Hey."

Silently Jess stepped to the side, pulling the door open just far enough for him to maneuver inside. She watched him pause for a moment as she closed the door softly behind her, leaning against it and feeling the cool wood against the palms of her hands. Turning toward her, he gave her a lopsided smile and cleared his throat.

"So I,…"

"Don't have a bed." She interjected so quickly that it took him by surprise, momentarily staring at her with a stunned look on his face. After a few moments, he blinked several times and nodded. Her eyes drifted down to his throat as he swallowed hard, pausing on his lips before settling back on his eyes. Were they always such a deep brown? So focused? So…mesmerizing?

Without thinking, she reached to her left and pushed her finger down on the light switch, the room now cloaked in darkness. In the time it took for her eyes to adjust to the dimness, Nick had made his way to the opposite side of the bed. Frozen in place, Jess watched him unbuckle his jeans and drop them to floor. Hoping he hadn't notice the sharp intake of breath as he pulled his shirt over his head, she cleared her throat and walked forward toward the bed. Unable to avert her gaze, she studied the dark lines of his green t-shirt, tightly clinging to every contour of his chest. At almost the same instant, they both reached for the bedspread and Jess let out a small giggle. _God, why was she so nervous. This was NICK. Her roommate. Her…best friend?_

Without either of them uttering a single word, they both slipped under the covers and laid next to each other staring up at the ceiling. With barely inches between them, Jess felt the heat radiating off of Nick's body.

Nick spoke softly into the darkness, breaking the silence. "You were right."

A few moments passed, a few deep breaths inhaled into Jess' lungs before she boldly slid her hand across the cool sheet and reached for his. Nick's fingers wrapped so effortlessly around hers, as if he had been waiting for the chance to hold them in his. His hand was soft, and warm, and seemed to fit so perfectly with her own. She felt herself relax in a way that made her feel calm and safe and….loved.

His touch could do that.

NICK could do that.

Before her head could warn her against it, she rolled onto her right side and nestled her cheek against his shoulder. Shifting in one motion, she pressed the entire length of her body against his. Taking a deep breath, she felt all her worries and fears melt away and let out a sweet sigh.

"I missed you, Nick."

"Me too."


	2. Eggs

**At the end of "Eggs"...**

* * *

Jess could still hear Schmidt and Winston laughing about Nick's noble, but unsuccessful attempt at a zombie novel. After leaving Nick's room, she had gone back to her own to think, flopping down onto her bed with her legs dangling over the side. She was lost in her thoughts staring at the ceiling when she heard a knock on her door. Knowing right away it was Nick, she answered without moving.

"It's open."

Stepping into the room, his smile quickly dissipated seeing the expression on Jess' face. Hestitantly, he sat down on the bed next to her. The gentle dip of the mattress shook her out of her daze and she turned her head to look at him.

"Hey."

Nick frowned. "You okay?"

She just shrugged and started to sit up. Seeing that she was struggling, he let out a laugh, offering his hand and pulling her to a seated position. Finding a strange comfort in the warmth of his touch, she held tighter when he started to pull his hand away. Nick's eyes found hers and he felt himself holding his breath for a moment, before relaxing his hand and letting himself have this contact with her, no matter how fleeting it would be.

Jess forced a weak smile, but she couldn't fool him. Something was bothering her, and with each passing day it was harder for Nick to ignore how much seeing her happy meant to him.

Nick squeezed her hand. "You're going to be okay. You know that, right?"

Jess _shrugged._ "Maybe."

Without thinking, his next words tumbled out of his mouth. "You're going to be a mom someday, and you'll be amazing."

Her eyes met with his and she felt herself holding her breath. His words were so honest, so unexpectedly tender. Who was this man sitting next to her right now? Nick had always been kind to her, supportive and encouraging. But today had been different. He seemed vulnerable, like he understood where she was coming from on a different level than she had expected. Could it be that maybe Nick thought about these things too? But he was a guy, they didn't really have to worry about biological clocks and aging reproductive organs. Why did it seem like he really did understand?

She suddenly felt very exposed, caught in this intimate conversation with her roommate, that she started to pull her hand away. Only Nick wouldn't let go. Raking her eyes up his arm and settling back on his face, he stared intently at her. He tightened his grip around her small hand and slid closer to her, his knee brushing against hers and sending a strange sensation through her entire body.

His deep brown eyes were full of warmth and concern, and she found herself unable to look away. His voice was barely a whisper, "Any guy who wouldn't want all that with you is crazy, Jessica."

Lips parting slightly, she blinked her eyes in shock, holding her breath as he squeezed her hand once more. She was frozen and speechless, anticipating Nick's next move. Finally her eyes broke away from the intensity of his gaze and the moment was lost. Nick's grip on her hand suddenly vanished and he gave her the smallest hint of a smile before disappearing out the door.

Unable to move, Jess took several quick breaths and looked down at her hand. She could still feel his touch on her skin, his unexpectedly honest words echoing in her head. Her thoughts flashed to Spencer, and Russell, and even Sam.

Why couldn't they have all been more like Nick?

Raising her eyes toward the doorway, she clenched her hands tightly and gasped at the realization that she didn't need someone who was _more__ like Nick._

What if _Nick_ was the one she needed?


	3. First Date

"They've got a great squish to them."

"Can't argue with you there."

Nick rubbed his hand over his face and shook his head. They sat in silence for a few moments before he pushed his hands on his knees and stood up. Turning toward Jess, standing in the gutter, he reached his hand out and she squinted her eyes in confusion.

Jutting his hand out firmly in front of her a second time, he raised his eyebrows. "Tomorrow?"

She shook her head in confusion. "What do you mean _tomorrow?"_

"The rules. They start tomorrow."

Jess bit her lip and hesitantly took his hand, her breath catching in her throat at how warm and strong his hand felt as he helped her up off the curb. He pulled her against his chest forcefully, knocking the wind out of her with a loud. "Umph."

Her eyes traveled to his and a moment passed between them before he took a step backward and cleared his throat. "We're still on our date, and I'm going to dance with you."

She let out a laugh as he grabbed her other hand and threw it around his waist. "Oh. Is that right, Miller?"

He nodded emphatically. "Yep."

Her fingers grasped at his shirt and she took a deep breath, a smirk coming across her face as she looked up at him. "We are definitely breaking Middle School dance rules here."

"Oh, is that so?" He raised his eyebrows and stepped further away from her, making his body stiff and his hands dropped to her waist. "Better?"

She threw back her head and laughed. "Much." Her laughter died down as he silently grabbed her hands and brought them to his shoulders. His fingers lingered along her wrists before they dropped and settled back onto her waist. Slowly, he walked his fingers around her back, stepping closer to her until they were only inches apart.

His eyes met the intense stare of hers and he swallowed hard, feeling the tension building between them once again. His voice came out in a cracked whisper. "Still like those rules?"

Blinking several times, Jess slid her hands around his neck and her fingers gently tugged at his hair. She slowly shook her head, as she closed her eyes.

Before he could let his brain talk himself out of it, Nick leaned down and kissed her cheek. Her entire body relaxed and her hands slid down to rest on his chest with a soft sigh. Still holding onto her waist, he laid his cheek against hers and whispered in her ear. "I'll miss the hugs the most."

Jess' eyes flew open and her body stiffened as Nick stepped away, his gaze dropping to the ground. She stared at him for a moment, before he mumbled quietly that they should probably go and turned away from her. Standing frozen in the street, Jess watched him step back up onto the curb and start toward Winston's car.


	4. The New Girl (Pilot)

Nick downed the last of his beer in a final gulp and leaned his head back against the couch. Pressing his thumb and forefinger into the corners of his eyes, he took a deep breath. He hadn't slept very well last night, _again_, and all he could do was mentally calculate how much time he still had left until he had to be at the bar for his shift. His hand dropped from his face like a dead weight onto the couch and he squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to fall asleep. Just for five freakin' minutes. He hadn't had his eyes closed for more than a few seconds when there was a knock at the door. He groaned loudly, eyes still closed.

"SCHMIDT!"

He could hear mumbling coming from Schmidt's room, which probably meant he was on the phone. Shaking his head, he slowly stood up and slammed his empty bottle on the coffee table. A second, slightly louder knock on the front door escalated his annoyance even further.

Grumbling under his breath, he made his way to the front door. "Damn it, I'm coming..."

Grabbing for the doorknob, a scowl on his face, he threw open the door. He was met with the back of a head full of long, dark brown curls. He was just about to scream for Schmidt again, when the woman turned around. Breath catching in his throat, he swallowed hard to push down the lump that had instantaneously risen there. Staring back at him were the most insanely beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen. They were mesmerizing and he couldn't look away if he tried. The frown on his face quickly dissipated into a blank expression as he stood there in stunned silence. He wasn't sure how long he'd been staring, but the girl's bright smile quickly faded as she glanced between the apartment number on the door and Nick's face.

"I'm sorry." She frowned for a moment and turned to look over each shoulder at the other apartment doors in the corridor. When she locked eyes with him again, her face sunk even further. "I think I might have the wrong apartment."

Mumbling to herself, she started to turn around, his vision suddenly a blur of bright red as the skirt of her dress fanned out around her. He cleared his throat and without thinking, lunged forward to grab her elbow.

"No, wait."

Spinning around, startled, she let out a small gasp. Her eyes caught his and for the briefest moment, neither of them moved. With a quick shake of his head, Nick released his grip. Completely confused at the strange sensation in his gut from their brief contact, his fingers buzzing with the memory of her soft skin.

His voice cracked, taking a step back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to grab you."

Her hand rested on her chest as she breathed heavily, a slow smile spreading across her pale face. "That's okay. I just wasn't expecting you to..." She stopped abruptly and tilted her head, eyes still sparkling. Shaking her head slightly, she reached for the purse over her shoulder and pulled out a piece of paper. Unfolding it slowly, she glanced at the apartment door once again. "I was supposed to meet someone about a room. I'm very confused..." She scanned the piece of paper, frowning.

"Oh, right. Schmidt." His hand tugged at the back of his neck, finally snapping out of his haze.

"I'm sorry?"

Nick forced a laugh, trying his best to ignore his racing pulse. "The Craigslist ad?"

"Well, yes, but..."

He pointed to her, voice flat. "You're interested in renting the room."

She nodded her head as she brushed a curl off her cheek. _Damn, was she gorgeous. _"I am, but..." She bit her lip nervously and his heart started racing even faster. _Stop staring, Miller._ "I thought that it was placed by a group of woman." Nick squinted his eyes in confusion and she stuttered in embarrassment. "I mean, I just thought...well, the way the ad was written...But not that I wouldn't love to have a guy as a roommate..."

Nick couldn't help but smile at how cute she was in her flustered, nervous state. He shook his head and stepped backward, gesturing in front of him for her to enter the apartment. "My roommate wrote it. Sorry for the confusion. We _do_ have a room available though... if you're still interested."

What was he doing? This was such an incredibly terrible idea.

_Walk away, Miller. Tell her to leave._

Stepping into the apartment, Nick closed the door behind her as she glanced around the room. Their eyes locked again and she smiled. "This is so beautiful."

_Very..._

Blinking several times, unable to take his eyes off her, he stood perfectly still. The woman was about to say something when Schmidt walked towards them from the kitchen.

"Well, well. Who is this Nicholas?"

The woman glanced at Nick, still frozen in place, before stepping toward Schmidt with an outstretched hand.

"Hi, I'm Jess."


	5. Backslide

He turned towards the hot water spilling out of the shower head and let it rain down directly on his face. How long had he been in here? Why didn't he want to leave? It had nothing to do with Caroline.

No. He was going to be happy. This was good.

Opening his eyes, he took a deep breath, the accumulated steam clearing his mind and making him feel a little more confident. A smile came across his face and he shook his head. He could do this, of course he could.

He started to spin around to reach for the knob, when his eyes caught glimpse of a bottle in the corner.

Probably Schmidt's...

Curious, he bent over to pick it up. He always got a kick out of how much money Schmidt spent on all his grooming crap and he started to look for a pricetag. As he spun it in his fingers, it started to slip. Reflexively squeezing the bottle, he was assaulted by an invisible plume of honeysuckle and lavender.

He inhaled sharply, his senses suddenly kicked into high gear.

Jess.

This smelled like Jess.

Shaking his head he placed it on the shelf in front of him and ran a hand down his face, slapping his cheek for good measure. When he opened his eyes again, they fell to the bottle and even though he tried to tell himself that this was weird, even for him, he couldn't resist.

Taking the bottle in his hand, he tipped it just enough for a small pool of shimmery purple liquid to fall into his palm.

He liked the smell.

That's all it was.

Returning the bottle to the shelf, he slowly started to rub his palms together until his finger disappeared under a layer of pungent suds. As he closed his eyes, all he could see was her hair, falling in large, soft curls around her bright blue eyes. Her laughter was echoing in his ear and he couldn't stop the flood of emotions he felt at the thought of not seeing her every day.

Inhaling deeply, his head swirled with images of what it would be like to finally leave the loft and commit to a serious relationship with someone.

Only the woman that wouldn't leave his thoughts wasn't Caroline.

He was startled out of his daydream by the sound of someone calling his name. Quickly, he rinsed his hands and shut off the water with a squeak. Reaching his arm out to grab his towel, he stepped out of the shower to find Jess standing in front of him.

She looked so excited, blue eyes sparkling and lips a deep shade of red.

He swallowed hard, pushing every inappropriate thought of his roommate to the furthest recesses of his mind.


	6. Basketsball

Damn it.

Damn him.

Damn that stupid Nick Miller.

Jess thrashed again in her bed, punching her fists down into the mattress before throwing back the covers. She sat up and grabbed Nick's pillow, throwing it across the room.

"Ugggggghhhhh." Leaning over onto her elbows, she pressed the palms of her hands into her eye sockets and took a deep breath. There was no way she was getting any sleep tonight.

"You can't spend _one_ night alone now, Day?" She muttered to herself in disappointment. Her frustration quickly dissolved into sadness and she turned her head to look at Nick's empty side of the bed. Since when was she such a sissy? After a few more minutes of mindless blinking as she stared into the darkness, she twisted her legs to the side and stood up. When she crossed her arms over her chest, she was reminded that she was still wearing Coach's shirt and she sighed. She couldn't let Nick win, but...

She had to get some sleep. Sleep that just wasn't going to come as long as she was over here in her bed cold and alone. Biting her lip, she reached for her pink velour robe and put in on. She was careful to push the shirt sleeves to her elbows and pull the bottom hem to her waist before tying it tightly. Smoothing the front of the robe, she smiled.

There. He wouldn't know she was still wearing the shirt if he couldn't see it. And if she could sneak in his bed while he was asleep, maybe he wouldn't even care by morning.

Turning toward the door, she slowly reached for the handle and tiptoed out into the hallway. To her relief, Nick's door was cracked open slightly. Good, she wouldn't run the risk of waking him when she twisted that noisy doorknob.

Sucking in her stomach, she shimmied through the opening and crept across his room toward the bed. Narrowly missing a pair of shoes on the floor, she made her way to her side of the bed. Holding her breath, she pulled the sleeping bag back inch by inch, watching Nick's sleeping face cautiously for any signs of movement. When she had made enough space to slide in she closed her eyes, sitting down with her back to Nick so she could curl up next to him.

He'd never notice.

Then, in the morning, she could either sneak out or pretend like she forgot they were still fighting when she went to the bathroom in the middle of the night. After a painstakingly slow transition into her spot, she exhaled a slow breath in relief.

Just when she let the last of her tension relax into the mattress, Nick shifted next to her and she felt his warm, comforting arm wrap around her waist. Pulling her to his chest he kissed her cheek and tucked his head just above hers.

"I couldn't sleep either. But you're taking that shirt off tomorrow."

Jess smiled and snuggled into him, grasping for his hand and winding his fingers with hers. "We'll see."


	7. Thanksgiving II

Jess leaned back on her hands, legs dangling over the side of her bed. Nick had come in to check on her after Bob and Joan had left. Seated next to her, his eyes steadily avoided the way her red dress clung to her chest as she took one deep breath after another. They had relaxed in the silence for several minutes, before Jess spoke, her gaze locked on the back of her door.

"Nick, can I ask you something?"

He responded quietly. "Sure, Jess."

"Did you ever wonder...I don't know, if..." She stopped abruptly, the room once again falling to silence. Nick tilted his head hoping she would turn his way, but instead, ended up studying her profile. She looked confused. Sad. Lost. He hated the way her eyes drooped when something was wrong. He wanted to make her smile.

Nothing was the same when Jess' eyes didn't shine.

His gaze remained steady on the side of her face. "Are you okay?"

There was another beat of silence before she turned her head. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good."

Twisting his body towards her, he leaned one arm on the bed, gently poking her side with the other hand. He tried to give her a smile, but she wouldn't look at him. "No you're not. Come on, what is it?"

She pulled back on the bed, scooting to a seated position and crossing her legs underneath her. The red dress she was still wearing billowed out over her lap and he couldn't stop thinking about how good she smelled. Her perfume was intoxicating and the tang of the red wine she had polished off after dinner floated off her lips when she spoke. He slid onto the bed, mirroring her position, their knees almost touching. One of the hands that had been in her lap reached out and lazily drew circles over his knee. He closed his eyes for a second, the sensation almost too much to handle.

"Do you think we become our parents?"

He watched her fingers continue their movements, thinking for a moment, his face twisting as he shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe a little." He paused, glancing up at her. "I mean, I think it's hard not to, ya know? But I'd like to think we can at least know which parts we _don't_ want to be."

She sighed in resignation with a frown. "I should just get used to being alone _now."_

Nick's eyes quickly darted to hers, his voice coming off much more irritated than he intended. "What are you _talking_ about?!" Eyes snapping open widely, she flinched at the harshness of his words and he reached out to cup his hand over her knee. "Hey, I'm sorry."

She shook her head, momentarily dazed by his outburst. "It's..."

"What I meant to say was..." He leaned closer, his fingers tightening around her kneecap. "why would you even think that?"

She took a slow breath and exhaled. "Come on Nick. I'm 30. You really think I have _any_ chance of finding someone who is as equally crazy as I am? Or even more importantly, want to _be _with someone this crazy? I tried to PARENT TRAP my 60 year old parents. What is wrong with me?!"

"Hey, _nothing _is wrong with you, Jess." Not thinking, his fingers moved to her chin. She let out a small gasp at the gesture, her eyes dropping to his hand and back to his brown eyes. He ignored the voice in his head that told him to pull away. "No one has _deserved_ you yet."

Jess' eyes froze on his as she swallowed hard, acutely aware of the way Nick's thumb was rolling across her cheekbone. She felt tears prick her eyes and she blinked once, twice. Swallowing again, her eyes dropped to Nick's mouth for a second and back to his eyes. She whispered softly, "Nick..."

"I mean it Jessica." Leaning closer, his other hand slid along the bed until it came to rest beside her leg. "When you find him, he's never going to let you go."

His words seemed to penetrate all her senses. A pull tugged at her chest and her stomach seemed to flutter with a thousand butterflies. Inhaling a shaky breath, a single tear started to roll down her cheek. A moment passed between them before she quickly broke their gaze and pulled away. Swiping the back of her hand over her cheek, she was unable to meet his piercing stare. Twisting her hands in her lap, there was a minute of silence before she was able to steady her breathing and finally meet his eyes once again. He smiled at her until her own mouth turned up in a gradual grin. Their smiles grew larger until they were both laughing.

Nick nodded, brushing his hand over her shoulder to push her curls off her neck. Running his palm slowly down her arm, he looked her straight in the eye. His voice faded to a whisper as their laughing died down, "I promise when the time is right, it'll happen."

Giving her wrist a final squeeze, he stood up abruptly and walked to the door. Before she could even turn her head, he had twisted the knob and slid out into the hallway, shattering the intensity of his words with the reverberating thud of the door closing behind him.


End file.
